Connecting the DoTs: A Summoner Guide

[Akariel]

(con't)

3. I try to keep my AF stacks in three, but there are always times when I needed to use an extra AF (or just screwed up) and then got left with 1 stack or 2 stacks. Do you guys let some of the Aethertrail stack(s) fall off to come back up with a clean set of 3?

[Minorinz]

Some semi-random questions:

1. Do you guys use Painflare on single targets? (e.g. to help burst something down)? Do you use it just to quickly get into trance (apart from its accepted use in opening rotation)? I find myself doing both every so often and wondering if I should exercise more self-restraint.

Never use painflare on a single target unless the single target is dying and you could phase into dread stance to deathflare it. Fester should be the only way you should be building AA stacks and with that you are creating a momentum and a smooth flow of your rotation on a single target. How and why? For maximum dps output and efficiency, when you rush a dreadwyrm stance you are missing out on CDs such as tridisaster, 1 or 2 stacks of aetherflow as well as having your other ogcd up but having to pause them because activating them during dreadwyrm stance is a dps loss such as spur, rouse or swiftcast+shadowflare. You need to at least have casted 4x ruin 3s during dread and it's very difficult for it go smooth during the activation of many gcds at once.

2. What do you guys do with adds that die quite fast from others' dps but need to be burst down? (e.g. butterflies in Ravana, adds in A4). In Ravana, I rarely get a chance to AoE them as people start hitting them as they spawn and nowhere near the boss or each other. I find myself at a loss sometimes if I should bother putting any DoTs on them, Ruin them, PF a single addt, or ignore the blue altogether and just settle for the Moon @.@). I think I even used DF on them instead of Ravana sometimes >_<

This is quite situational. Well in Ravana, I ask the healers to stack in the middle so the adds would get closer to ravana for me to painflare and bane, but if it doesn't go as planned -since some of the adds are ranged- then focus the ones infront of ravana since melee can't get to those because ravana cleaves, dot them with your highest potent dots which are your shortest ones. Also set your pet on the adds, don't leave it on the ravana. Monitor your party's dps. Cover up the part they are lacking in dps: if you notice the moon bursting fast then tridisaster is a waste on it, if you notice the smaller adds being uneven then use tridisaster on those. Also, it's ok to toss painflares on adds because they will do more damage than dots themselves since adds die pretty fast when they are focused by more party members but that's still very dependent on your party's dps. One more thing, on adds phase-- rushing to deathflare is ok if you see so many of the adds gathered/stacked, imo.
Just an off topic tip, ask you whm to time their assize for those adds.

(con't)

3. I try to keep my AF stacks in three, but there are always times when I needed to use an extra AF (or just screwed up) and then got left with 1 stack or 2 stacks. Do you guys let some of the Aethertrail stack(s) fall off to come back up with a clean set of 3?

Well I don't think I understand the question correctly, but try to never let AA fall because you are basically passing on a 10% buff and 400 potency burst damage.

I hope this helps, maybe other smns here can provide more info!